udisksctl is a command-line utility that allows users to interact with the udisksd daemon process. The udisksd daemon is a system daemon that provides a standardized interface for interacting with storage devices on Linux systems. The daemon allows users to mount, unmount, and manage storage devices such as USB drives, hard drives, and network storage devices.
udisksctl is a powerful tool that can be used to manage storage devices from the command line. Some of the tasks that can be performed using udisksctl include:
- Mounting and Unmounting Storage Devices: udisksctl can be used to mount and unmount storage devices. For example, to mount a USB drive, users can run the command “udisksctl mount -b /dev/sdb1”. Similarly, to unmount a mounted device, users can run the command “udisksctl unmount -b /dev/sdb1”.
- Querying Device Information: udisksctl can be used to query information about storage devices. For example, users can run the command “udisksctl info -b /dev/sdb1” to retrieve information about a particular storage device.
- Creating and Managing Partitions: udisksctl can be used to create and manage partitions on storage devices. For example, users can create a new partition on a storage device using the command “udisksctl create-partition -s 500M /dev/sdb”.
- Power Management: udisksctl can be used to manage the power settings of storage devices. For example, users can set the power management settings of a device using the command “udisksctl power-off -b /dev/sdb”.
If you encounter the below error while running the command udisksctl:
udisksctl: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install udisks2 |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install udisks2 |
| Alpine | apk add udisks2 |
| Arch Linux | pacman -S udisks2 |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install udisks2 |
| CentOS | yum install udisks2 |
| Fedora | dnf install udisks2 |
| Raspbian | apt-get install udisks2 |
udisksctl Command Examples
1. Show high-level information about disk drives and block devices:
# udisksctl status
2. Show detailed information about a device:
# udisksctl info --block-device /dev/sdX
3. Show detailed information about a device partition:
# udisksctl info --block-device /dev/sdXN
4. Mount a device partition and prints the mount point:
# udisksctl mount --block-device /dev/sdXN
5. Unmount a device partition:
# udisksctl unmount --block-device /dev/sdXN
6. Monitor the daemon for events:
# udisksctl monitor
Summary
In summary, udisksctl is a command-line program that provides a powerful interface for managing storage devices on Linux systems. It is a valuable tool for system administrators and power users who need to manage storage devices from the command line. With udisksctl, users can easily mount and unmount devices, query device information, manage partitions, and set power management settings.